Abdominal Migraine

Basics

Description

Paroxysmal disorder of an acute onset, severe, noncolicky, periumbilical, or diffuse abdominal pain accompanied variably with nausea, vomiting, anorexia, headache, and pallor

Epidemiology

Incidence

Occurs mostly in children; mean onset at age 7 years (3 to 10 years)
Peak symptoms 10 to 12 years of age
More common in girls (3:2)

Prevalence

May affect as many as 1–4% of children at some point in their lives
Declining frequency toward adulthood

Risk Factors

Genetics

Parents of affected children often have history of migraine headaches and motion sickness.

Etiology

May involve neuronal activity originating in the hypothalamus with involvement of the cortex and autonomic nervous system
Serotonin is implicated and blockade of serotonin receptors may prevent abdominal migraine.
Recent studies suggest involvement of local intestinal vasomotor factors.
Abdominal migraine shares pathophysiologic mechanisms and clinical characteristics with cyclic vomiting syndrome and migraine headaches.

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